Potato-digging machine.



N. KEELER.

POTATO meme MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE in 1914.

1, 1 34,205 Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

WITNESSES A flaring/ THE NORRIS PETER. c0 v rn0TC-L!THO.. WASHINGTON, D c.

NOAH KEELER, OF WALLACE, NEW YORK.

POTATO-DIGGING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed June 11, 1914. Serial No. 844,426.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH KEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wallace, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato- Digging Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to potato digging machines.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine that will remove the potatoes from the soil without bruising them and leave them in a free condition for gathering. One that will not cover up any that have been dug, and can be used to dig an entire field without having to pick up any if it is desired so to do.

Inthe following specifications reference is had to the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this applicationrand in which, I

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 2 is a front view of the reel. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the traction 7 wheels and driving gears. Fig. 4 is acrosssection on the dotted line M of Fig. 1 showing coupling.

For convenience of description, numerals will be used and the same numeral will be used throughout to designate the same part.

My invention consists of an improvement in potato digging machines in which acasting 1 forms the basis of construction, said casting having a horizontally extending body portion 2, with properly positioned sockets 3 attached thereto to' receive the handles 4:, and a depending arm 5 having a slot 6 in its front face to receive the upturned rear end of the shoe 7, said shoe 7 being adjustably mounted by a clamp 7 in the slot 6 of the member 5. Members2, 3 and 5 are cast integrally.

On the front of the shoe 7 the potato raising blade 8 is attached by bolts to the top side thereof. Immediately in the rear of the potato raising blade said shoe 7 has its width reduced to a minimum consistent with the strength required, and is set to run upon its edge and is formed so as to carry the potato raising blade higher than that part of the shoe 7 immediately in the rear thereof. The shoe 7 has an extending point carried under and beyond the front portion of the potato raising blade 8. Said casting 1 has an opening longitudinally extending throughout its body portion to receive the end of the fixed shaft 10 which carries the revolving, elongated, flange bearing collar 13 and connects the digging machine with the traction wheels 12. The said flange bearing collar 13 extends approximately to the middle of the shaft 10. I

The flange 14 is provided with a plurality arms comprise a reel. A plurality of arms are adjustably mounted upon said flange 14, in the seats formed by said ribs 15, by a bolt 17 passing through a slot 18 in said flange 14 and through a hole in said reel arms. The

said reel arms are formed preferably of steel bars and are sharpened at their outer ends 19 to prevent their becoming entangled with the potato tops. The points of said reel arms are bent forwardly as at 19 to facilitate the separation of the potatoes from the soil. Upon the front end of the said shaft 10 is rotatively mounted a beveled pinion 20 having an elongated hub portion extending rearwardly to meet the flange bearing collar and said pinion 20 is operatively connected at will with the beveled gears 21 and 21 which are fixedly mounted upon a sleeve 22 said sleeve being slidably mounted upon the shaft 23 connecting the traction wheels 12. The shaft 10 terminates in and is fixedly attached to a collar 24: loosely mounted on the sleeve 22. Any preferred means may be used to connect the sleeve 22 with the shaft 23. The elongated hub portion of the pinion 20 and the elongated flange bearing collar 13 are formed hexagonally on their outer surface where they meet on the shaft 10. V

A loose fitting sleeve 11 of similar shape on its inner surface surrounds the two members at the point of contact forming a means of communicating the rotary motion of the pinion 20 to the flange bearing collar 13. By sliding said sleeve backwardly until the pinion hub is disengaged therefrom the rotary motion of the reel is prevented.

On the rear face and near the lower end of the dependent member 5 a cross arm 26 is fixed. A drag iron 27 is connected to and held parallel with said cross-arm by chains i the potato raising tool,

28 and is allowed to drag on the ground-for the purpose of filling the furrow madeby In the operation of my invention the shoe '7 is set siuficiently low to permit it to run in the soil below the potatoes, the potato raising blade 8 will then run just under the potatoes and as it is advanced itwill loosen rear-portion of the potato raising blade and the shoe 7 catching the potatoes at this point r and raise them from their natural bed. The

reel is adjusted so that the pointsof the arms' will pass when rotating between the and throwing them out of the ground and clear of the loosened soil.- In othertypes of potato digging machines all of the loose soil and potatoes are thrown, by the reels working ontop of the plow to one side, depending on thespreading of the soil to make the i separation, while in my invention the reel 7 arms catch thepotatoes and throw them to 'onevside leaving the soilfpractically in its,

original location, Afteri diggingva row of potatoes. when turning the 'machine the pinion-2O may be shifted to the opposite driving gear and thus reverse the direction in' which the reel turns thereby being enabled to always throw the potatoes away from the Copies of this patent may be obtained for 5 row that has not been' dug and thus permit-' 30' 'vent the potatoes from rolling into'saidfufp'asses on a subsequent trip; Believingthat tion, use and combination of parts are full controlling handles there'forya potato, rais five cents each il the cp miss ioner.of-Jatents;

washlngton lJ c 1 r ,eling 'the grand ana miaga fur-row: made by'the potato digging blade, to pr row and being coveredup when them'achine from the foregoing description the, c nstru understood I deem further rdescription tolbe unnecessary; I or What I desire to" securfefby Lettersf l a w I 1. In a potato; digging machine, a icombi: V nationfwitha 7 pair of traction. wheels; of a reel having a plurality. of arms: and fmeans'f for -rotating the said reel; a body' portion;fi

ing bladeandymeans for Q I ecting said i blade to Jthe'body portion fmeans for conf" necting said body portion to said 'traction' wheels, and ,a drag; iron attached. to said; a b y Portio 2; A potato diggingmachine I pr s g a body; controlling handles therefor; a p0-1 tato raising blade; a reversible rotating reel having a plurality of arms and "means f0 rotating the said reel; a drag iron" attached to said body portion whereby the-fu rrow made by the blade is filled- I I .i In testimony whereof Ihavesigned my name to this specification the presence of 1 two subscribing witnesses.i

Witnesses: i 1

- M, A. (300K, 7 a

FRA K H- A LI 

